All mod cons for 35 000 riders

05 March 2008 22:22 - (SA)
Jana Breytenbach





Cape Town - Two helicopters, the latest technology and thousands of litres of thirst-quenchers will help to make the world's biggest cycle race as enjoyable as possible for the expected 35 000 taking part on Sunday.

This year's oldest cyclist in the Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay race is 89 and is the oldest person to have taken part in the race since its inception in 1978.

Ten paraplegics also will take part this year, using hand-pedalled bicycles.

Six scholars from the Athlone School for the Blind have also decided to saddle up on tandem bikes for the route around the Peninsula.

There will be 423 tandem cycles, which include 76 racing bikes, 43 bikes with junior riders and 304 bikes with social riders, tackling the 109km route.

About 300 volunteers will man the refreshment stalls, providing 50 000 litres of Powerade, 160 000 litres of Coca-Cola, 100 000 litres of cold water and 50 000kg of ice to soothe dry throats.

The organisers have given the assurance that generators will be available in case of power cuts.

Participants' medical history will be captured on a new health program, Bluespier, at registration.

If they need help along the way, emergency services will have access to this information and will be able to help their patients immediately.

"We have been testing this program for a year and the results are good," said Dr Basil Bonner, head of Milnerton Medi-Clinic's emergency centre.

The program will be used at five points along the route - Jubilee Square, the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve, Soetwater, Hout Bay and Camps Bay.

88 ambulances on standby

The main control point will be Tygerberg Hospital, where doctors will be able to monitor the use of the program.

A total of 100 vehicles - 88 ambulances and response vehicles, 10 motorcycles and two helicopters - will keep an eye on cyclists. More than 800 medical personnel will be on standby.

The South African Weather Service predicts fine weather on Sunday. A northwesterly wind of between 25km/h and 30km/h is expected, with morning fog at Slanghoek, Cape Point and Scarborough. The mercury will rise to the high 20s in Cape Town.

The first group starts at 06:00, when it still will be dark. The sun will make its appearance a little later, at 06:39 and will set at 19:12


Source: News24.com

Doh, thought you were talking about the Paris-Nice, man that looks like quite an event.

But I think I may elect to watch this one... very cool article,

Hey that's cool, never heard of this race yet.

ya 35k is a lot of folks, the one I rode last summer (and am already registered again for this year) was like 11k people (I thought that was a lot of folks, man) but 35k wow thats huge, very cool article.
Of course you realize this is coincide with the 'Paris-Nice' the beginning of the PRO tour (well this year there is quite a bit of debate over that) The UCI and the ASO are feuding- that would be the international cyclist union and the Amury sports org, a french media conglomerate which has bought many of the PRO classics, including the Giro, Veluta and many other 'classic-historic' races.) There is many post of big drama on that, I have been following that real close, it could rip the sport of professional cycling wide open.

Cycling has become so popular over here that in my opinion cyclists should be banned from using certain roads. There's a big issue here about the cyclists complaining about motorists being inconsiderate and a threat to the lives of cyclists.

It's a total pain in the you know what when you come across a group of 10 or 20 cyclists hogging the road and making it impossible for traffic to pass. The end result is you get a stream of cars backed up behind the fools travelling at like 25 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone where one just cannot overtake because of oncoming traffic. Of course the motorists get impatient and totally pissed off and there have been incidents of hit and run under those circumstances. I think the cyclists bring it on themselves quite frankly.

now see there is great consideration here, as a matter of fact some of the cyclist are quite militant about not saying single file down the side. I have heard them yelling at guys who ride even two a breast. We go to great lengths to 'share the road'. (the local cycling club even placed signs along most routes that have a little bike on it and it says 'share the road') But my mother feels the same way you do Graham, she always tells me some one is going to kill me one day.
And for the most part there are very few altercations. But by American Law cyclist are afforded the same rights as cars, we are allowed a full lane, though we never take it. We always make room for cars to pass.
Common courtsey goes along way, I would much rather be waved at as a car passes than to have someone though me the bird, and possibly an empty can. (or even a full one)

Quote:

I would much rather be waved at as a car passes than to have someone though me the bird, and possibly an empty can. (or even a full one)

That's why we wear helmets, isn't it? The thing I hated most was that woosh of air on the calf when someone came too close and was going too fast.

Man, I know how you feel, there are at least three or four times a week I get buzzed by a truck (usually) where I ride its out of the city limits, but there is tons of Oil and Gas drilling out there the roads are clogged with convoys of trucks carrying drilling equipment, and those guys can be real jerks, they love to BUZZ you with inches to spare (heck I actually caught a rear view mirror Tuesday morning, thank goodness it was an old lady barely going the same speed I was) but let me tell you, riding along and one of those drilling trucks blows by with inches between me and him.... well I did get life insurance this year, too many close ones last year, didnt want to leave my wife and daughter with nothing. And yes I wear a helmet too, hehe but man I rode many years with out helmets, heck when I started racing (around 76 or so) there were no helmet requirements, then when the did institute them, we all wore those little leather strappy things, not really a helmet.... but it satisfied the rules for a bit, then they instituted the hard shell helmet rules.
I am lucky in a way, I really do appericate life, because I have a real idea of how fragile the whole balance of things is, and I realize that most of the others on the road are carrying anything from 1 ton and on up to the 80,000 ton equipment trucks...well lets just say I share a special kinship with 'road kill' ever time I ride past some poor animal puddle, I realize 'there go I, but for the grace of God' hehe... however I am not usually looking for a warm place to sleep in the middle of the road....